Are you earning enough?

Biggest mistakes made in interviews

Each week we send at least 5 candidates out on interviews to law firms for a variety of positions including: BD manager, Legal Personnel Coordinator, Recruitment Assistant, Knowledge Manager, etc. Regardless of the level or specific role, we see candidates make mistakes on their interviews that cost them the offer. I want to share with you the most common mistakes interviewees make.1. They speak negatively about their current boss or Firm.
Even if your complaints are 100% valid and you need to get out as quickly as possible, keep it positive! Instead of saying: “My boss has no idea what he is doing,” say: “I have learned as much as I can and am excited to be part of a new team.”2. They ramble!
Know what points you want to get across and come to the interview with specific examples that illustrate the skills and experiences you have and want to contribute. Instead of: “I started my career…,” start with: “What I am most proud of achieving in my current role is…”3.They don’t have a good reason for leaving their job.
Let’s start with what does not resonate to a prospective employer: “I need to make more money.” This is not a compelling reason to a prospective employer because a) if money is your main driver you are likely to leave them as soon as someone offers you more pay; b) if you are below market pay and convince your current employer to pay you more, maybe you are not as valuable as you think. Here are reasons for leaving a position that are compelling: “I spend 90% of my time working on the same projects and one year from now I will have not increased my skills or contributed in other ways.” Or: “My department has lost two team members and I am currently responsible for projects I did two years ago; I feel like I am regressing in the value I can add.”